10 WWE Stars Who Could Replace Shane McMahon As SmackDown Commissioner

5. William Regal

William Regal NXT
WWE

As the General Manager of NXT since the Summer of 2014, soft-spoken Englishman William Regal has been able to assess the onscreen growth of those he has helped train at WWE's Performance Center. It's a good fit for the veteran; Regal has excelled as GM due to his poise and because of how different he is on the mic to other, more over-the-top authority figures in WWE.

He's also someone Daniel Bryan greatly respects. That could be a story thread to work with on SmackDown, and it'd be cool to see Regal back in the big time again on one of the major brands. His work in NXT is great, but SmackDown's creative team would surely want the Brit's presence and familiarity to fans on Tuesday nights if offered.

Look at Regal's disappointed father routine with Pete Dunne earlier this year for an example of what he could bring to SmackDown. On that occasion, William's facial expressions were simply brilliant, and sold his disgust at the heel's actions more than words could. SmackDown needs that kind of subtle performance.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.